Barn cleaner



Dec. 16, 1952 Y w. E. HEDLUND ET AL 2,621,776

BARN CLEANER Filed April l0, 1947 2 SHEETS--SHEET l (D In N l` N N N o 0l N ma. Q Q Q O 'if f') Dec. 16, 1952 w. E. HEDLUND ETAL 2,621,776

BARN CLEANER Filed April 1o, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FI G. Z ////////////////////////////M WILFRED E. HEDLUND MARTIN n R. HEDLUND Patented Dec. 165,v 1952 UNITED OFFICE BARN CLEANER Wilfred E. Heamnd and Martin n.. Heaiuna, Boyceville, Wis.

Application April 10, 1947, Serial No. 740,656

This invention relates to barn cleaners adapted to clean the conventional floor gutters found in most dairy barns. As is well understood in the art, vthese gutters lie lengthwise of the barn a short distance outwardly from the Open ends of the cattle stalls or the same relative distance with respect to cattle stanchions if the stalls are not provided.

It is an object of the invention to provide a barn cleaning device which includes an elongated flexible material conveyor which moves lengthwise in the gutter to drag material therefrom, and wherein means is provided for conveniently returning the elongated flexible conveyor unit to a position where it can be quickly and easily redeposited in the gutter for a succeeding cleaning Operation.

Another Object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the type mentioned above in combination with conveniently located power means for moving the conveyor through its gutter cleaning movement and returning it to a position for a succeeding cleaning operation.

Still a further Object of the invention is to provide barn cleaning apparatus of the type described above in combination with an Outrigger along which the conveyor is moved to deposit the droppings or other material from the gutter at a point outside the barn and to guide the conveyor in its return movement.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which: Y

Figure l is a longitudinal vertical sectional View through the lower portion of a dairy barn showing our apparatus in side elevation;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan View of the lowier portion of a barn with the cleaning apparatus shown in plan with portions of the vhousing of the power unit broken away;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side ele-v vational view of the outriggers discharge showing its hinged discharge gate in closed and Open position in full and dotted lines respectively;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the elon- 4 Claims. (Cl. ISS- 108) of a dairy barn 'I having a floor 8, end walls 9 and I0, a sidewall II, and a ceiling I2. In the barn floor 8 is a conventional gutter I3 which extends along the Open rear ends of a series of cattle stalls I4. The right hand end of the gutter I3 is its discharge end and the side wall I0 is provided with a gutter discharge opening I5. A second Opening I6 is provided in the side wall Ii] for a purpose to be described below.

An elongated flexible conveyor member I1v is shown made up of a pair of side chains I8 whose ends converge and are connected by rings I9as clearly .shown in Figures 2 and 4. The side chains I8" are-connected by cross members 20 which are provided at their ends with loops 2| 'which are adapted to receive a side of each of a pairAof oppositely disposed side chain links |811, as shown in Figures 2, 4, 5 and 6. As best illustrated in Figure 5, the conveyor cross members 20 are of such thickness that they will rest upon and slide along the bottom of the barn gutter I3.

Extending outwardly and upwardly from the gutter discharge opening in the barn side wall I0 is an Outrigger indicated generally at 22. The Outrigger includes a bottom 23 and side walls 24. At the outer end thereof the bottom 23 is provided with a hinged gate 25 releasably held by a suitable catch device 26 mounted on one or both Of the Outrigger side members 24. At the outer ends of the Outrigger side members 24 is a cross shaft 21 which carries a roller 28. A second roller 29 is carried between the side members 24 rearwardly of the roller 28. At the inlet or lower end Of the Outrigger 22 are shoes 30 which extend inwardly a short distance from each side member 24 and are positioned a short distance above the interior of the Outrigger bottom 23.. The left hand'endsof the shoes 30 are shown in Figure 1 extending through the gutter outlet opening I5 in the barn side wall I0. In the opening I6 above the opening I5 is mounted a guide member or roller 3l which is positioned adjacent the-'top of said opening I6 leaving a substantial space ibetween the underside of the roller and the bottom of said Opening.

Connected to the right hand or return lend of the flexible conveyor I'Iis a single chain 32 which has a hook 33 on one end adapted to engage ther ring I9 at the right hand or lead end of said conveyor II. The chain 32 is shown in Figure 1 extending diagonally upwardly and outwardly along the bottom 23 of the Outrigger 22 andV thus over the rollers 28 and 29 on said Outrigger. The l chainthen leads downwardly and inwardly beneath the guide member or roller 3| in the open- 3 ing I6 and is suitably detachably connected to an end of a flexible cable 34. The cable 34 extends above and throughout the length of the gutter I3, and thence about a roller 35 which is mounted on the barn side wall 9. The cable 34 then extends upwardly about a roller 36 on an upper portion of the barn side wall 9 and from this roller the cable 34 leads to a winding drum 31. The drum 31 is suitably mounted on a platform 33 which is suspended by uprights 39 from the barn ceiling I2. The shaft 4i! of the drum 31 is rotatably mounted in uprights 4I which extend between the platform 38 and the ceiling. A second pair of uprights 42 carry a shaft 43 having pulleys 44 and 45 thereon. The pulley 44 is connected by a belt 4B to a pulley 41 on the winding drum 31. by a belt 48 to a motor 49 which is also mounted on the platform 38. Thus the power mechanism is located in a place where it will take up no iloor space inthe barn.

When. the apparatus is in the position of Figure.

1., themotor 49 is energized by any suitable means not'shown to cause the drum 31 to wind the cable 34 thereon. This will pull theV lower horizontal portion'of the cable. to the left and pull thesingle chaini32 from the Outrigger 22 and into the barn above. the gutter I3. This, of course, will pull the exible conveyor member I1 to the right or out of; the end of the gutter I3 and -carry along with it any droppings or other material in the gutter. They shoes .3!) which extend through the gutter outletxIB will keep the conveyor I1 down againstv thee bottom of` they gutter'. Otherwise there will beA a tendency for the pull of the chain 32 to liit the outwardly moving end of the conveyor I1. The. guidev members 3| and 35 in the form of a pair of rollers' and the tension on the cable 3'4 and chain 32 will. keep these two members suspended above the gutter. The cable 34 and possibly a portion of the chain 32 are Wound upon the drum 31 'until theY conveyor I1 has moved upwardly'and outwardly on the Outrigger and thence upwardly over the Outrigger rollersA 2'8 and 29 and downwardly to the bar beneath the guidev member or roller 3`I until'the 'full length of the conveyor has been returned to the barn. At this point practically Vall of the conveyor has dropped into the barn gutter. By reason of the fact that either of lthetwo ends of the-conveyor VI1 canbe conf nested Yto the chain 32 Said chain andthe cable 3-4 canbe pulled. outwardly unwindingthe cable from thev reel-'31.. The chain 32 is then placed around the Outrigger rollers and its free end is connected toY that-end' of the` conveyor I1 which lies adjacent the-barn gutter outlet opening I5. The conveyor I1 is in a reversev position longitudinally and vertically from its original position, but in view-of the `identical. structure of the ends of the conveyor and on its top and bottom sides, as shown, in Figure 5, it will function in the same manner as before.

y This yarrangement makes it extremely easy to returnv the conveyor to the gutter without having a pull cable attached to both endsfof the conveyor'and also Without requiringa reversible-power-mechanism. Whenthe chain 32 and cable 34 are pulled back for resetting the power' motor 43 is merely electrically disconnected so that the mo'- tor and reel 31 will run comparatively free. To manually return the conveyor I1 to its proper position in the gutter requires considerably more Work than when itis returned in the manner described above. Manual return of the chain 32 and cable 34 requires much less exertion. An-

The pulley 45 on the shaft 43 is connectedA other advantage of our invention is that the conveyor proper, namely the member I1, becomes thickly coated with cattle droppings and is a disagreeable and unclean structure to handle, whereas the chain 32 and cable 3e remain comparatively clean.

The discharge gate 25 at the upper and outer end of the Outrigger 22 can :be provided if desired to dump the cattle droppings either from the extreme end of the Outrigger or through the opening provided by the gate 25. In the latter case it is found more convenient when loading ay vehicle such as a manure spreader since the gate will direct the droppings into the spreader without dropping it to the ground or on the upper sideedges of the spreader box.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing frointhe scope of our invention.

What we claim is:

l. In a. barn cleaner for use in a barn having a gutter and vertically aligned guide openings within one of the barn walls, one of the openings being in alignment with the gutter and comprising a discharge for the gutter, an elongated exible conveyor adapted to lie in and move along the barn gutter, said conveyor having free ends with each end having readily releasa-b'le` attaching means thereon, a separate, elongated and flexible pulling means readily attachable to and detachable from each end of said conveyor, the conveyor during the barn cleaning a operation being pulled through the discharge opening or the barn to discharge the contents of gutter and back through the other guide opening with the conveyor substantially horizontally disposed with respect to the gutter and in close proximity thereto until the free end of the conveyor is-pulled through the guide opening whereupon the conveyor has been reversed end for end, and the attaching means is detached from the one end oi' the conveyor and attached to f the opposite end so that the conveyor is ready for use in the gutter.

2. In a barn cleaner for use in a barn having a gutter and vertically aligned guide openings within each of the barn walls, one of the openings being in alignment with the gutter and coinpri'sing a discharge for the gutter, an elongated flexible conveyor adapted to lie in and move along the barn gutter, said conveyor having free ends, a separate elongated and flexible pulling means readily attachable to and detachable from each end of said conveyor, and an Outrigger having a conveyor receiving end adapted lor positioning adjacent the discharge opening of the barn and having a guideway thereon directing said pulling means and said conveyor from `the discharge opening of the barn to the other guide opening when said outrigger is so positioned, the conveyor Yduring the barn cleaning operation being pulled through the discharge opening of the barnv to discharge the contents of the gutter and back through the other guide openingy vwith the conveyor substantially horizontally disposed with respect to the gutter and in close proximity thereto until the free end of the conveyor is pulled through the guide opening whereupon the conveyor has been reversed end for end, and the attaching means is detachedl from the one end of the conveyor and attached to the opposite end so that the conveyor is ready for use in the gutter.

3. A barn cleaner for use in a barn oi the type having a substantially horizontal gutter and an open area in a wall oi the barn positioned so that at least a part thereof furnishes charge for the gutter and so that a portion thereof extending above the gutter discharge portion will accommodate a flexible conveyor, said cleaner comprising an elongated, flexible conveyor constructed to convey at opposite surfaces thereof and adapted to lie in and move horizontaliy along the barn gutter and having free ends, a separate, flexible elongated pulling means having a free end readily attaohable to and detachable from each end of said conveyor, and a horizontally positioned guiding element disposed transversely in relation to the gutter and about which said pulling element may be trained to guide the pulling means and the conveyor during barn cleaning operation inwardly to a position substantially overlying the gutter whereby during barn cleaning opera-tion the conveyor may be pulled by said pulling element along the bottom of the gutter, then through the discharge opening of the barn to discharge the contents of the gutter, then over said guiding element and inwardly of the barn to be disposed horizontally above the original position of the conveyor in the gutter whereupon the conveyor has been reversed end for end and the free end of said pulling means may be detached from the one end of the con- Veyor and attached to the opposite end so that the conveyor will be again ready for use in the gutter.

4. A barn cleaner for use in a barn of the type having a substantially horizontal gutter and an open area in a wall of the barn positioned so that at least a part thereof furnishes a discharge for the gutter and so that a portion thereof extending above the gutter discharge portion will accommodate a flexible conveyor, said barn cleaner comprising an elongated flexible conveyor constructed to convey at oppositesuraces thereof and adapted to lie in and move horizon-n tally along the barn gutter and having free ends, a separate flexible cable having a free end readily attachable to and detachable from each end of said conveyor, a horizontally positioned guide element disposed transversely in relation to the gutter and about which said cable and said conveyor may be trained to guide the cable and the conveyor during barn cleaning operation in wardly to a position substantially overlying the gutter, winch means connected to the other end of cable whereby during the barn cleaning operation the conveyor may be pulled by said winch and said cable along the bottom of the gutter, then through the discharge opening of the barn to discharge the contents of the gutter, then over said guiding element and inwardly or the barn to be disposed horizontally above the original position of the conveyor in the gutter whereupon the conveyor has been reversed end for end and the cable may be detached from the one end of the conveyor and attached to the opposite end so that the conveyor will be again ready for use in the gutter.

WILFRED E. HEDLUND. MARTIN R. I-IEIDLUND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are Yof record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,444,119 Hedlund et al. Feb. 6, 1923 1,640,825 Flintrop Aug. 30, 1927 2,303,649 Livingston Dec. 1, 1942 

